Apparatus for Protecting Mailboxes from Snowplow Damage

ABSTRACT

An apparatus comprises a panel supported by a rigid frame, one or more pivoting arms, one or more front legs, and one or more back legs. The one or more pivoting arms are pivotally attached to the frame. Each of the one or more front legs is telescopically coupled to the frame such that each of the one or more front legs can be independently extended from and retracted into the frame. Finally, each of the one or more back legs is telescopically coupled to a respective one of the one or more pivoting arms such that each of the one or more back legs can be independently extended from and retracted into a respective one of the one or more pivoting arms.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to apparatus for protecting mailboxes, and, more particularly, to apparatus for protecting mailboxes from the debris (e.g., snow and ice) propelled by snowplows.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A snowplow typically clears a roadway by using a large blade to push snow and ice towards the side of the roadway. Unfortunately, because of their positioning on the sides of roadways, mailboxes are frequently hit by this debris when a snowplow passes. This debris, which frequently includes rocks and sand in addition to snow and ice, can easily bury a mailbox or, worse yet, destroy it entirely.

Information relevant to attempts to address this problem can be found in, for example U.S. Pat. No. 6,962,460 to Pratt; 7,364,066 to Wilson; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,080,773 to Tepley; as well as in US Patent Publication No. 2008/0314967 to Black. However, these references utilize costly protective mechanisms, require the use of specialized mailboxes, require the use of permanent fixtures, and/or do not sufficiently protect a mailbox.

As a result, there is a need for apparatus for protecting conventional mailboxes that are inexpensive to manufacture, effective, and easy to set up. In addition, these apparatus should also be easy to remove and store during those seasons when they are not needed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention address the above-identified need by providing novel apparatus for protecting mailboxes from snowplow damage.

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, an apparatus comprises a panel supported by a rigid frame, one or more pivoting arms, one or more front legs, and one or more back legs. The one or more pivoting arms are pivotally attached to the frame. Each of the one or more front legs is telescopically coupled to the frame such that each of the one or more front legs can be independently extended from and retracted into the frame. Finally, each of the one or more back legs is telescopically coupled to a respective one of the one or more pivoting arms such that each of the one or more back legs can be independently extended from and retracted into a respective one of the one or more pivoting arms.

In accordance with one of the above-identified embodiments of the invention, an apparatus comprises a steel tubular frame that supports a rectangular wire mesh panel. Two telescopically adjustable front legs and two pivoting arms in combination with their own telescopically adjustable back legs allow the wire mesh panel to be erected so that it stands vertically with respect to the roadside. Placing the apparatus proximate to a mailbox protects the mailbox from damage from debris propelled by snowplows by retarding the debris and/or breaking it up. Advantageously, the apparatus is inexpensive to manufacture, effective in protecting the mailbox, and easy to set up. In addition, it is easily removed and stored during those seasons when it is not needed

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description which is to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an apparatus in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the FIG. 1 apparatus attached to the ground with a mailbox;

FIG. 3 shows a front view of the FIG. 1 apparatus attached to the ground; and

FIG. 4 shows a top view of the FIG. 1 apparatus attached to the ground.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will be described with reference to illustrative embodiments. For this reason, numerous modifications can be made to these embodiments and the results will still come within the scope of the invention. No limitations with respect to the specific embodiments described herein are intended or should be inferred.

FIGS. 1-4 show a perspective view, a side view, a front view, and a top view, respectively, of an apparatus 100 in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention. The apparatus comprises a frame 105 including a top member 110, two side members 115, a bottom member 120, and a cross brace member 125. A wire mesh panel 130 is supported by the frame. Two pivoting arms 135 are pivotally attached to the two side members by pins 140.

The apparatus 100 is designed to be erected proximate to a mailbox 145 as shown in FIG. 2 with the plane of the wire mesh panel 130 preferably being substantially perpendicular to the ground 150. Advantageously, independently adjustable, telescoping legs allow the apparatus to be set up in this manner on both flat and uneven terrain. Two front legs 155 are slidably inserted into the frame 105 near its bottom while two back legs 160 are slidably inserted into the pivoting arms 135. After adjustment to the proper extension, the movement of these legs is restricted by two front screws 165 and two back screws 170 that essentially act as set screws. More particularly, the two front screws are threaded through holes in the frame so that they can be tightened against the front legs, and the two back screws are threaded through holes in the pivoting arms so that they can be tightened against the back legs. Holes 175 in the bottoms of the front and back legs allow landscape spikes 180 to be inserted into the legs and driven into the ground, thereby allowing the apparatus to be securely anchored at the chosen location.

The United States Postal Service regulations currently require that the bottom of a roadside mailbox be 44 to 48 inches above the surface of its street. As a result, it is beneficial to have the top of the wire mesh panel 130 stand somewhat higher than this. The apparatus 100 may, for example, be adapted so that the top of the wire mesh panel is adjustable to stand between about 54 inches and about 62 inches above the ground 150. Good protection can also be achieved by having the wire mesh panel have a width of about 24 inches. Nevertheless, these dimensions are merely illustrative and an apparatus with other dimensions would also come within the scope of the invention.

In terms of materials, the frame 105, the pivoting arms 135, the front legs 155, and the back legs 160 each preferably comprise square tubular steel. Steel provides strength and is cost effective, while the tubular construction both reduces weight and facilitates the telescopic adjustability of the legs discussed above. The wire mesh panel 130 preferably also comprises steel and may, just as an example, have a square mesh size of about 1 inch by 1 inch. Such a wire mesh panel is capable of retarding and/or breaking up snow, ice, rocks, and sand propelled by a snow plow. Notably, a wire mesh panel is preferred over a solid panel. A wire mesh panel only absorbs a portion of the energy of the debris that impinges on it, but provides enough of a barrier to prevent the debris from burying or damaging the mailbox 145. A solid panel, in contrast, must absorb all the energy of the debris that impinges on it and thereby must be substantially heavier and stronger. In addition, a solid panel is prone to the accumulation of debris at the face of the panel and may be susceptible to damage from strong winds.

Optionally, the apparatus may be adorned with reflectors and/or other markings to increase its conspicuity.

For ease of setting up and taking down the apparatus 100, the front screws 165 and the back screws 170 preferably comprise thumb screws that can be easily tightened and loosened by hand without the use of tools. They might, for example, comprise shoulder-type thumb screws. In addition, for storage purposes, the front legs 155 and the back legs 160 may be fully retracted into the frame 105 and pivoting arms 135, respectively, and the pivoting arms rotated so that they sit parallel to the side members 115 of the frame 105 (i.e., the pivoting arms may be folded flat). Doing so makes the apparatus quite compact for convenient storage during the warmer months.

It should again be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the invention are intended to be illustrative only. Other embodiments can use different types and arrangements of elements, different materials, and different dimensions for implementing the described functionality. These numerous alternative embodiments within the scope of the appended claims will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

Moreover, all the features disclosed herein may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent, or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features. 

1. An apparatus comprising: a panel supported by a rigid frame; one or more pivoting arms, wherein the one or more pivoting arms are pivotally affixed to the frame; one or more front legs, wherein each the one or more front legs is telescopically coupled to the frame such that each of the one or more front legs can be independently extended from and retracted into the frame; and one or more back legs, wherein each of the one or more back legs is telescopically coupled to a respective one of the one or more pivoting arms such that each of the one or more back legs can be independently extended from and retracted into a respective one of the one or more pivoting arms.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises a tubular portion.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the tubular portion is square tubular.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises steel.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises a cross brace.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the panel comprises mesh.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the panel comprises wire mesh.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the panel is substantially rectangular.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more pivoting arms comprises a respective tubular portion.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the tubular portion is square tubular.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more front legs defines a respective hole therein.
 12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more front screws, each of the one or more front screws operative to be passed through a respective threaded hole in the frame and tightened against a respective one of the one or more front legs.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more front screws comprise a thumb screw.
 14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more front legs is adapted to be anchored to the ground with a respective landscape spike.
 15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more back legs defines a respective hole therein.
 16. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more back screws, each of the one or more back screws operative to be passed through a respective threaded hole in one of the one or more pivoting arms and tightened against a respective one of the one or more back legs.
 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the one or more back screws comprise a thumb screw.
 18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more back legs is adapted to be anchored to the ground with a respective landscape spike. 